Phoenixville resident appears on Who Wants to be a Millionaire'?

NEW YORK CITY, NY — Recently, Alex Cabot, of Phoenixville tried his luck on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”

The episode aired on Monday and was filmed on Feb. 17.

Cabot didn’t become a millionaire, but was still happy with what he took home: $23,800. The amount was half of what he had in the bank on the show.

“What a whirlwind ride it was,” Cabot said.

He is going to use his winnings for something practical: to finish his basement. He said that is the main reason he let his wife, Patty persuade him to go on the show. She accompanied him in the studio while he was a contestant.

Cabot signed up for tickets and when he saw the show, he participated in a 30 question quiz. He was one of six people that passed the quiz. He was interviewed a few times while he was there. A few weeks later, he found out he was selected to be part of the contestant pool.

Cabot decided to take the money and go home after his ninth question which was “Paul Newman, Susan Sarandon and Gene Hackman starred in a 1998 movie titled what? A: Transformers, B: Iron Man, C: Twilight or D: Avatar.” If he would have guessed wrong (anything other than C) he would have only won $1,000.

He said he feels like he is the weakest with the pop culture category and better with science questions.

He’s been a longtime fan of the show.

“I started watching it when Regis was on,” Cabot said. “My friends would notice when I would get a disproportionate amount of questions right.”

He isn’t shy when it comes to being in front of people.

“I’ve been on TV before on the local news,” Cabot said. “I’ve spent time on camera. I did theatre when I was in college. I’m used to being in the spotlight.”

“It’s a very different experience when you’re watching the show and you’re shouting out answers at home,” Cabot added. “If you get the answer wrong you might suffer a smidge of embarrassment. On the show, if you get the answer wrong, that’s a lot of money you might be costing yourself.”

He said he enjoyed meeting Meredith Viera and made friends with the other contestants.

Cabot works as a technical writer and wrote a book two years ago titled “Your Handbook of Personal Finance.”

He said he recommends that people go on the show.

“If you like trivia, it’s so much fun,” Cabot said.

According to a press release, Cabot and his wife, have a 3-year-old daughter, Samantha.

Cabot is the son of Kate Cabot of Malvern. In 1998, he graduated from Shipley High School in Bryn Mawr.